Inhibitory effect of garlic extract on multi-drug resistant organisms

Multi-drug resistant bacteria have become a major global healthcare problem in the twenty-first century thus an urgent need for products that act on novel molecular targets that circumvent resistance mechanisms, garlic is one of hundreds of plants that are used in traditional medicine as treatment for bacterial infections, In this study, we tried to uncover the effect of different concentrations of local Aqueous Garlic Extract [AGE] on Multi-drug organisms including Escheichia coli [ESBL],Klebsiella pneumonia [ESBL],Pseudomona aeruginosa,Acinitobacter spp, MRSA, by disk diffusion and agar well diffusion assay. All tested organisms were inhibited by AGE up to 25% concentration and the activity was a linear function of concentration. At 100%, the maximum zone of inhibition was observed against MRSA, a Gram positive organism and the minimum was against Klebsiella pneumonia [ESBL], a Gram-negative organism. This indicates that AGE has the potential of a broad spectrum of activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In conclusion, the results of this study have provided scientific Justification for the use of local garlic extract in health products and herbal remedies against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Modified Method of Submental Oroendotracheal Intubation

The aim of this paper is to present a modification of submental intubation in the management of airway. Following usual oroendotracheal intubation, the tube and cuff are exteriorized through a laterosubmental incision, and connected to the anesthetic machine. Ten patients comprising 8 panfacial fractures and 2 orthognathic surgical cases have successfully been managed with this approach. There were no complications, no morbidity, and the scar was inconspicuous and esthetically pleasing. The laterosubmental intubation technique is simple, efficacious in the management of severe maxillofacial injuries, orthognathic surgical cases with nasal obstruction and in plastic surgery for concomitant approach to rhytidectomy, lip correction and rhinoplasty. This approach deserves to be widely propagated among specialists working on the face

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma referred for radioiodine therapy

The current work was conducted to study the disease status and treatment results of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma referred for radioactive iodine therapy. Retrospective review of 78 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma referred for radioiodine therapy in the Nuclear Medicine Unit, King Abdulaziz Hospital and Oncology Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Analysis of the clinicopathologic characteristics, age correlation to different risk factors, treatment protocol and results were performed. Seventy seven% were female and the female to male ratio was 3.5:1. The age of patients ranged between 13-63 years with a median age of 36 years. Cervical lymph node involvement was detected in 22 patients [25%]. Papillary carcinoma was encountered in 78 patients [90%] and follicular carcinoma in 9 patients [10%]. Analysis of the clinicopathologic characteristics showed no statistically significant difference between patients in the different age groups except for extrathyroid extension and lymph node involvement. Patients older than 45 years had a statistically significant lower incidence of nodal involvement and higher incidence of extra thyroid extension [P<0.02]. In the current study we used a high dose method [Radioiodine-131 dose 75-100mCi] for thyroid remnant ablation after thyroidectomy [total or near total] in 67 patients. An Iodine 131 dose of 150 mCi was used in 12 patients with radioiodine-avid cervical lymph nodes and in 3 patients with gross residual tumor. In 4 patients with distant metastases an Iodine 131 dose of 200 mCi was used. For the whole study group the 5 year overall survival and disease-free survival was 96% and 88%. The current study, as with many other retrospective studies, concluded that despite the fact that differentiated thyroid carcinoma is among the most curable cancers, some patients are still at high risk for recurrent disease and associated mortality